Implications - Summer is a season heavy with festivals, which are quickly becoming a millennial rite of passage. In order to appeal to younger consumers, brands are customizing their products and services to easily integrate into this new summer ritual. In turn, consumers are responding to brands that show interest in accommodating their lifestyle. [More]

Implications - For decades, mascots have proven an effective way to establish brand presence; however, this idea may be dated for consumers seeking a more personable, customized connection from brands. Battling this means adapting mascots to mimic the times. This provides both novelty, and a topical connection. [More]

Implications - Inspired by adjacent industries, brands are adopting tube-like packaging for products that aren't typically associated with a flexible format. Signifying a consumer openness to alternative packaging, this switch not only piques the interest of consumers with an unexpected look, but provides a more controlled, cleaner product experience. [More]

Implications - Seeking to heighten festival engagement, brands are turning to unexpected pop-up stations for exposure. Providing beauty stations and fashion lounges, festivals are turning to unique brand collaborations to not only heighten engagement, but also to add a new dimension to concerts and outdoor events. [More]

Implications - In an effort to better understand consumers, brands are turning to alternative forms of research that go considerably more in-depth than traditional methods. Brands are diving deeper into everything from consumers dating habits to bodily and emotional engagement with a product or service. Performing such a detailed analysis suggests that brands want to know their consumers as a whole individual, rather than as pieces of fragmentary data. [More]

Implications - Efficiency and portability have become key purchasing factors, particularly among those always on-the-go, prompting retailers to adapt their packaging designs into more condensed alternatives. Providing designs that can easily be flattened down, brands are aiming to not only make their products more convenient, but also to add a level of consumer engagement to the process. [More]

Implications - Nutritional transparency is key for health-conscious consumers, but it's not enough for products to merely advertise their ingredients. Consumers are attracted to products that also emphasize the benefits of healthy eating, whether it be a reduced waist line or increased brain power. Accentuating the benefits of a product through its packaging reflects a consumer desire for results-based goods. [More]

Consumers respond to digital marketing campaigns that tell a love story

Implications - Understanding the power of the narrative format, marketers are searching for new ways to tell heartwarming stories. Using social media to subvert the traditional 'love' story, brands appeal to consumers' sentimentality to create a stronger connection, suggesting that the romantic narrative is one that can be continually updated and refreshed to offer novelty and delight. [More]

Implications - Looking to connect with their female consumers, brands are turning to marketing tactics that level the playing field between the sexes. Targeting issues such as the wage gap and sexual assault, brands seek to become more socially conscious and relevant. Equality-focused marketing is ultimately an attempt to meaningfully engage consumers who are at the forefront of social change. [More]

Implications - Young consumers are less interested in the perceived exclusivity of drinking wine, and instead seek to enjoy it in a low-key way, leading to the rise of unobtrusive or camouflaged forms of packaging. The shift in packaging suggests that consumers are less concerned with conspicuous packaging, putting more emphasis on social experience. [More]